Trainee journalist at Cardiff JOMEC, English & German graduate from the University of Exeter, former editor of Exeposé student newspaper and winner of 'Best Interview' at the 2017 Student Publication Association national awards.

Berlin restaurant serves up Greek Crisis Menu

A Greek restaurant-owner in Berlin is bringing his homeland’s current political crisis to life for customers – by creating a menu based on Greece’s financial struggles.

Varoufakis platter, anyone? Or perhaps you’d prefer the Grexit plate?

And for dessert, how about the Sweet Angie?

Sitting down to read the menu in Berlin’s Restaurant Z, you’d be forgiven for thinking your imagination’s got the better of you. Or that you’ve simply spent too long in front of the TV listening to reports of Greece’s financial crisis.

But the Grexit discussion is something restaurant-owner Georgios Chrissisi wants to bring to the table – which is why he’s launched a limited edition menu based on the Greek crisis.

Chrissidi was born in Greece, but has spent the last 24 years in Germany. His restaurant in the city’s Kreuzebrg district serves up an array of Mediterranean cuisine, also catering for parties and private events.

He told The Local that he came up with the idea for the menu around two weeks ago – and then set about creating seven entirely new dishes for the collection.

Soon after, the Greek Crisis Menu was born.

“At first I had my doubts, thinking people might react negatively,” he said.

“But that’s not been the case at all. People laugh when they see the menu items. They find it funny, and they’re quite easygoing about it.”

With starters from ‘Tsipras’ Favourite’ and ‘IMF calamari’ to mains including the ‘Schäublexit Platter’ and ‘Troikaminator III,’ Chrissidi has certainly been creative with his choice of names.

A particular favourite is the ‘Schäublexit platter,’ modeled on German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble.

The dish is lamb-based, Chrissidi explained – and his reasoning suggests the restaurateur hasn’t been overly impressed by Schäuble’s negotiating tactics.

“I was thinking of the summer times in Greece, when you try and drive to the beach but you can’t, because all these sheep stand in the road and block your way,” he laughed.

Greece might face ongoing financial worries, but at Restaurant Z, everything will be wrapped up in a few weeks’ time. The menu will be available until mid-August, Chrissidi said.

The menu has been a talking-point among diners, he added – and has led to discussions about the Greek crisis.

As far as Chrissidi is concerned, a Greek exit from the Euro would do the country no good at all.

“It’s not the Euro that’s caused all of these problems,” he told The Local.

“Greece would have had all the same problems if they’s stayed with the Drachma.”

To fully recover, Greece needs to reorganise itself and sort out the relationships between people and politics, he believes.

And what is Chrissidi’s favourite dish from the limited edition collection?